


Surprise Duet - M. Shadows Oneshot

by rizanicole



Category: Avenged Sevenfold
Genre: Concerts, F/M, Music, One Shot, Oneshot, a little piece of heaven, a7x
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-15 15:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15416298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rizanicole/pseuds/rizanicole
Summary: After waiting five long years, she's beyond excited to finally see her favorite band in concert. However, the night takes a turn that she never could have expected.





	Surprise Duet - M. Shadows Oneshot

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So it’s been about 8 years, and I still have a crush on M. Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold. This idea popped into my head one day, and I just couldn’t seem to get it out. Whaddaya gonna do? I hope you enjoy reading this oneshot as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please leave any feedback you may have in a comment or message! :)  
>    
> Also, let’s just pretend everyone is magically single here, okay? I ain’t no homewrecker!

The year was 2008. After holding on to my ticket for months, I was finally on my way to see Avenged Sevenfold on the world tour for their self-titled album. A friend had introduced me to the band in junior year of high school, way back in 2003. And to be honest, I’d been hooked on them ever since.  
   
I sighed aloud as I approached the venue, slowing my old Mustang down as I started to hit the first signs of concert traffic. I’d been driving for about three hours at this point, and was relieved to almost be there. I had a few friends who were also fans of the band, but no one who lived close anymore—our high school group had all scattered for college. I’d kept in touch with the friend who’d first introduced me to the band, though. He’d asked me to report back on how the show was tonight, so he could prepare to see it played in Las Vegas next week.

Regardless, for whatever reason, I was attending the show alone tonight. And, to be honest, that may have been for the best. Jumping around singing and screaming at the top of my lungs wasn’t exactly the most flattering way to be seen by my peers, and if I was alone, I’d be free from any potential judgement. Besides, this way, I’d be able to fangirl in peace.

I had fallen in love with Avenged Sevenfold’s music before I ever saw a music video or a picture of the band. But, let’s not kid ourselves: these guys are gorgeous. And while I was mostly excited to _hear_ them live, a part of me that I wouldn’t have admitted to anyone else was also excited to _see_ them live.  
   
After a few more minutes of slow-moving traffic, I’d made it to the venue entrance and been directed to a parking space. It was in a dirt lot, about a ten-minute walk from the stadium, but that was definitely preferable to shelling out $20 for a “premium” spot.  
   
I made my trek to the stadium with the rest of the crowd, waited in line for security, scanned my ticket, and was finally in! Having been a fan of the band for quite a while now, I’d gone all out on my ticket. I was in the fourth row behind the pit, with the pit being directly in front of the stage. I squealed internally with excitement when I realized how close I would be to the band.  
   
Seeing as the show wasn’t slated to start for another twenty minutes, I looked down to review my appearance. Same black converses I’d been rocking for the past half-decade, dark skinny jeans, and a black deathbat t-shirt. It seemed appropriate for this setting. I’d applied a layer of black eyeliner today, but not so much as I used to use back when I’d first heard about the band. It was probably best that my 16-year-old self hadn’t been in charge of today’s makeup. I only hoped that if the band noticed me in the crowd, I’d look like a fan without looking too much like the crazy fan _girl_ that I may or may not have secretly been.  
   
After spending a bit of time examining the venue around me—a standard football stadium, currently devoid of any of its sports-iness, and quickly filling up with music fans—I returned my gaze to the stage. The sun was just beginning to set, and I figured it should be all the way down by the time the opening band finished playing. It should make a perfect nighttime backdrop for the main act’s performance.   
   
I continued to waste time, exchanging quick introductions with the people who ended up filling the seats on either side of me, and finally, the pre-show background music faded out. The opening band—not a group I’d ever personally heard of before—ran out on stage together, and their guitarist struck the first chord of the night.  
   
Despite not knowing their songs, I enjoyed the band’s music, nodding my head and singing along with choruses when they were repeated. I made sure to not expend too much energy yet, though—I’d need everything I had when it came time to freak out over Avenged Sevenfold.  
   
After a five-song setlist, the opening band waved to the crowd and ran off stage. The lights came back on over the audience, more noticeable now that the sun was providing less light, and that background music they always seem to play at concerts when nothing else is going on started up again. I impatiently endured the agonizing wait between acts as I watched technicians clear away the first band’s equipment and begin setting up Avenged Sevenfold’s instruments, microphones, and amplifiers. Before long, though, a black curtain was pulled in front of the stage, obscuring the view of their work from the crowd. I guess whatever they were setting up would be a surprise.  
   
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the lights dimmed over the crowd again. Cheers from the audience started immediately; this is what we’d all been waiting for. I realized after a few moments of feeling lightheaded that I’d been holding my breath, and quickly sucked in a few gulps of air to try and counteract any damage I’d done. I wouldn’t pass out and miss this show for the world.  
   
The eerie keyboard opening of Critical Acclaim could suddenly be heard coming from the darkened stage. When the guitars came in a few seconds later, the stage curtain dropped, and the lights came on at last.  
   
I could see four members of the band on stage: Syn, Zacky, Johnny and Jimmy were all stood (or sat, in Jimmy’s case) with their instruments, ready to go and already getting into the song. That left only one person missing, but he soon appeared from the left-hand side of the stage, carrying his stand in one hand and a microphone in the other.  
   
“How we doin’ tonight, Dallas?!” Matt roared into the microphone. The audience had been becoming steadily louder since the song first began, but by now their cries were nearly deafening. Was there already a circle pit starting in front of the stage? It looked like it.  
   
Matt grinned at the crowd as he set the mic stand in the center of the stage, his eyes hidden behind aviator sunglasses. “Are you ready to rock this place down tonight?!” Not giving the crowd time to answer, he counted down and launched into the song’s lyrics. “1, 2, 3, 4!”  
   
I immediately started shouting along words to the songs I knew so well. Not thirty seconds into Critical Acclaim, I could feel tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. I couldn’t help it. I always got emotional at concerts. And after waiting five long years to finally see this one, it would have been almost impossible for me to not react strongly.  
   
By the end of the first number, I’d managed to mostly compose myself, so that I could focus on singing and dancing like a complete fool. In the back of my mind, I was thankful that this band had such a rabid fan base; rather that sticking out like a uniquely annoying sore thumb, my behavior was quite in line with that of many of the other concert goers... if just a tad more over-the-top.  
   
The band whisked through songs from their most recent three albums, executing each one flawlessly. It baffled me that Matt could sing so strongly for so long, or that anyone else in the band could memorize musical parts to so many lengthy songs. I almost felt like I was basking in their talent—watching Syn and Zacky playing dueling guitars shoulder-to-shoulder on Unholy Confessions was making all of my teenage dreams come true.  
   
I was slicked in sweat with a sore throat and neck, my heart rate high and my legs about to give out from jumping so much, when Matt announced from the stage, “Alright, Dallas, we’ve got one more for you guys tonight. You ready to help us make it fuckin’ rock?!” He was grinning again at the crowd, soaking up the applause and cheers like a true showman. He’d removed his sunglasses a few songs into the set, and I could see that his smile reached all the way up to crinkle the corners of his eyes. Thank goodness I’d gotten a ticket so close to the stage, because seeing little details like this made me stupidly happy.  
   
I clapped along with the rest of the crowd, breathing in and out deeply to try to catch my breath. I couldn’t believe they were at the last song already, as I never wanted this night to end, but I was going to be sure to enjoy it.   
   
“Okay, I’m gonna need somebody up here with me for this next song.” Matt announced from the stage. If it was possible, the audience got even louder. 

“To be more specific, we need a _lady_.” Syn added, leaning forward to speak into his own microphone, stressing the last word and raising an eyebrow. “One who knows our songs well enough to get up here and help us sing one.”  
   
I froze for just half a second. I’d gone to so many shows that I’d seen people pulled up on stage plenty of times. Hell, just earlier tonight the band had pulled up a guy to sing vocals for a Pantera cover.   
   
But this... this was different. It was the first time I’d ever been able to do what the band requested, and _also_ actually been close enough that I might possibly, just maybe, if the stars aligned, and I got lucky, get selected for it.  
   
And motherfucker, that’s not an opportunity I was about to pass up.  
   
As if I wasn’t completely drained of energy, I began bouncing up and down off my feet like a pogo stick, trying to get my head as high above the crowd as possible. I waved my arms almost frantically and screamed. I must have looked ridiculous. I didn’t care.  
   
They hadn’t even announced what the song was yet, but that was the beautiful thing...  
   
It didn’t matter.  
   
I knew the words to every one.  
   
I heard a third person chuckle into a microphone. “I think we might’ve already found you one, Syn.” It was Zacky. “Crazy chick, jumping up and down, fourth row.”  
   
Who was it? I looked around briefly, not pausing in my movements. There was no one who wanted this more than me. I’d fight them if I had to—  
   
My gaze passed back to the stage. My eyes met Zacky’s. And I realized he was talking about me.  
   
I screamed even louder than before, nodding my head frantically. Other members of the crowd started turning to look at me, as Matt did the same. He laughed when he saw me.  
   
“Alright, alright, you get points for enthusiasm. Get on up here, girl, let’s see if you can sing this song we haven’t even named yet.”  
   
He was looking at me. Right at me. Our eyes were locked, and he crouched down on the front of the stage holding his hand out, extended towards me. I wanted to burn this image into my mind forever.  
   
Jesus, I might have fainted if I wouldn’t have wanted to slap myself so hard for it later.   
   
I pushed past the people next to me in seats out into the narrow aisle leading towards the stage. I landed just behind the pit, where a security guard opened the barrier to let me in. I shoved my way through the people there, most of whom were helpful, a few of whom seemed angry they hadn’t been chosen and were reluctant to let me through. But I made it through all the same.  
   
I almost felt like I was in a dream as I approached the stage. There was no way this was real, right? I had no idea how much time had passed since Zacky had first spotted me, but when I’d made it to the front, I reached out and clasped Matt’s extended hand in my own. I briefly noted how much bigger his hand was than mine, and then he hoisted me up onto the stage almost effortlessly, it seemed. Unsurprising, considering how muscled his tattooed arms were in the sleeveless top he was wearing. Like I said, these guys were kind of hard not to stare at.  
   
And just like that, I was on stage next to my idols. I would have stood and savored the moment, but just a few seconds after I had my footing, Matt was talking again. “What’s your name, doll?” He thrust the microphone towards my face.   
   
“I-I’m,” I was stuttering in a cracking voice, so I leaned aside to clear my throat and tried again. “I’m Julie,” I said, grinning up at him. Much better.  
   
“Alright then, Julie. You seemed pretty confident out there in the crowd, think you can help us sing this next song?”  
   
I nodded at him, my grin only growing. “I can do it, Mr. Shadows.” He chuckled again—a low, sexy sound that I simply loved—and asked me, “What song are you hoping for it to be?”  
   
I furrowed my brow ever so slightly in thought. Mulling over the hits they’d already played that night, and which songs could possibly need a female singer...  
   
There was only one option. And it was a good song.  
   
In fact, it was my _favorite_ song.  
   
“Is it A Little Piece of Heaven?” I asked him hopefully. The crowd cheered in agreement—there was no way they could skip such a wonderfully weird track.   
   
Matt smirked at me, a slightly mischievous look on his face, and I knew I was right. “Can you sing it?” he asked. I nodded emphatically. “Perfect. Take the female parts near the end and feel free to join in my parts whenever it feels right on the rest of the song. Sound good?”  
   
“Sounds great!” I said, managing to hold in my fangirlish squeals for the moment. A tech appeared on my left suddenly, handing me my own microphone. He set a stand in front of me a moment later. I was thankful that I’d have something to hold onto during the song.  
   
Once he deemed me to be ready, Matt looked back over his shoulder at the rest of the guys. He then turned back to face the crowd, and chuckled darkly into the microphone, his stage presence returning. “Well then, let’s do this.”  
   
A second later, the opening notes of the song started to play. The crowd roared to life again, and from my new view on the stage, I could truly appreciate how massive the audience was. Not only was the floor of the stadium completely jam-packed, but there were rows upon rows of people filling the raised seats around the perimeter of the venue, too. I set my microphone in its stand and clasped my hands around it to steady myself. It was true that I knew every word to this song, no doubt. But could I actually sing it _well_ , especially after almost two hours of yelling myself nearly hoarse? Well, that was another question entirely. All I could do was grip the mic stand for dear life and hope I didn’t sound like a dying cat.  
   
“Before the story begins, is it such a sin...” Matt crooned beside me. He was a mere three feet to my right, looking every bit as much a rock star as I’d imagined. I waited another moment, then joined him in singing.  
   
“We were more than friends, before the story ends...” I sang along with Matt for a few seconds, and he looked over to smirk and nod at me approvingly, never interrupting his own singing.  
   
My contributions to most of the rest of the song were similar, joining in whenever I thought it was appropriate for both partners to be singing the lyrics. Mostly, I ended up harmonizing with Matt in the slower parts of the chorus. I even threw in an evil cackle to coincide with my character’s revenge in the song, earning raised eyebrows from Matt. I think—or at least, I hope—that they were in approval.   
   
I was enjoying myself immensely throughout the song, my fears having faded as soon as I’d sung my first line. Whenever I wasn’t singing, I ended up looking around in wonderment at the stage I was on, admiring how hard everyone was working. As the song built towards its climax, I cleared my throat away from the microphone once more. Plucking it from the stand, I turned my entire body to face Matt. When he noticed, he angled his body to face me, as well.  
   
“I will suffer for so long...” he began slowly.  
   
“Not long enough,” I chided him.  
   
“To make it up to you...” he promised, hazel eyes gentle and apologetic as if he’d actually wronged me.  
   
“I pray to God that you do.” I sang softly, casting my eyes down in a hurt way.  
   
“I’ll do whatever you want me to do.” He stepped closer to me.   
   
I looked back up into his eyes, my expression guarded. “Well then I’ll grant you one chance.”  
   
“And if it’s not enough...” he continued.  
   
“If it’s not enough?” I questioned him, taking a step closer. We were extremely close now, and I probably would have lost my composure from the proximity if I wasn’t so focused on not messing up the song.  
   
“If it’s not enough...” he sang again.  
   
“Not enough,” I repeated.  
   
“Try again,” he suggested.   
   
“Try again,” I agreed.  
   
“And again...” he sang in a slightly higher pitch.  
   
“And again,” I sang, even a bit higher.  
   
“Over and over again!” We finally sang together, growing louder in a crescendo.   
   
“We’re coming back!” Matt continued to sing, his voice dark again as he turned away from me. “We’ll live forever!” Echoes of his voice bounced around the stage and throughout the stadium.  
   
I waited for my next cue, watching the talented band members on the stage around me playing their hearts out, until I noticed Zacky approaching me from the back of the stage, a microphone in his hand. He stopped just a few feet away from me and smirked.  
   
I’d always been a sucker for snakebite piercings. Why was everyone in this band so damned attractive?  
   
Before my brain had the chance to process any more similar thoughts, I noticed Matt come back over from the far side of the stage, still singing. When he was stood opposite me, with all three of us in the center of the stage, Zacky began to speak.  
   
“Do you take this man in death for the rest of your unnatural life?”  
   
“Yes, I do.” My answer came almost as a reflex.  
   
Zacky turned his head to address Matt. “Do you take this woman in death for the rest of your unnatural life?”  
   
“I do.” he nearly hissed.  
   
“I now pronounce you...”  
   
And Matt was back at it again, belting out the final chorus as he did one more lap of the stage. I managed to hold myself back until the last part, making sure everyone in the audience got plenty of opportunity to hear his perfect voice without my contributions. When the slower part of the song began, though, I couldn’t resist anymore.  
   
“You had my heart. At least for the most part...” Matt was walking back towards me again, to the same place where we had first started singing. I distantly realized that I’d been basically rooted to this spot for the entire song, but no one seemed to care.  
   
“‘Cause everybody’s gotta die sometime,” we sang, Matt coming to a stop very close to me. We were staring directly at each other, and I had to tilt my head back slightly to look into his eyes.  
   
“We fell apart. Let’s make a new start.” He reached out and took my free hand in his, tenderly. I felt absurd butterflies fluttering in my stomach. Everyone was acting like we were _in_ the story, which I hadn’t really been expecting in the beginning. To be fair, no live video I’d ever seen had shown Matt singing this song with a partner.  
   
“Cause everybody’s gotta die sometime, yeah, yeah.”  
   
And finally, we sang in perfect sync: “But baby don’t cry-y-y-y-yyyyy.”  
   
Once we’d finished the last note, Matt unexpectedly moved forward and wrapped his arms around me, expertly avoiding bumping either of our microphones in the process. He leaned his head down next to mine and turned his face to press into my cheek, so he was facing away from the audience.  
   
The crowd was cheering loudly for the finale of the last song, and for whatever was happening on stage now. My face felt like it was about 1000 degrees, and I was over the moon to be so close to Matt, but I also wasn’t quite sure what was going on. What was he doing with his face—  
   
 _Oh._  
   
The way Matt had turned, so the crowd couldn’t see our faces, must have made it look like we were kissing to anyone who didn’t know better. It was our perfect lovers’ reunion at the end of the song.  
   
If it was possible, I felt my face get even warmer. I carefully moved my arms to loop around his neck, adding to the illusion and gaining another quick burst of applause from the audience.  
   
Matt held the position for about ten seconds, before disentangling us from one another. He was grinning at me, and I couldn’t help but beam back at him. I could only hold in my fangirling instincts for so long, and what he’d just done—even if it had only been to add to the show—had been more than enough to set them off.  
   
He leaned back towards me a moment later, having to shout next to my ear to be heard over the crowd without his microphone. “You did a great fuckin’ job! Wanna come hang out backstage after the show?” I pulled away slightly to look into his face, and seeing that he was serious, nodded my head fervently. He laughed again, leaning towards me once more. “Just run back over there and people’ll show you where to go. Sound good?” He was pointing to the left side of the stage, where he’d first emerged at the beginning of the show. I nodded, still grinning like a moron, and quickly placed my microphone back in its stand before heading off in that direction.   
   
The stage was fairly wide, and as I was passing in front of Zacky and Johnny, I heard Matt say into the microphone, “Give it up for Julie! She did a great job, right?!”  
   
The audience cheered—as they would when Matt said virtually anything—and I waved to the crowd again before disappearing into the wings of the stage. Once I was sure I was out of view, I paused and turned back to look at the band as they prepared to give one final bow.   
   
Had that really just happened?  
   
I didn’t have too much time to mull on it, as I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see a tall man sporting a black shirt that simply read “CREW” in white block letters across the front.  
   
“You can follow me this way for backstage,” he said, gesturing further away from the stage. I felt slightly conflicted. I would have liked to see the band’s final bow, but then again, if I waited that long I wouldn’t have any time to prepare before they came backstage. I nodded to the man, and followed him.  
   
We walked down a hallway to a decent-sized room with two long couches and a chair set up against the walls. It wasn’t fancy or anything, so I assumed this was just an area for the band to gather together before going out on stage. The hallway we’d come down continued past the room I was in now; I could only assume it led to the dressing rooms.  
   
The man who’d showed me the way here spoke again. “Feel free to make yourself at home, the guys should be back in just a few minutes.” He looked at me a bit more closely, seemed to notice my dazed expression, and added, “You can also get some water, if you want.”  
   
I looked around and noticed a small water cooler with paper cups sitting next to the chair, and nodded to him. “Thank you,” I said gratefully, already moving towards it. I had no doubt I was seriously dehydrated.   
   
Once I’d gotten my drink of water and chugged it—water had never tasted so good—I turned back around to see that the man was gone. I made myself comfortable sitting on one of the couches, and did my best to smooth down my hair, which surely looked ridiculous by this point, before the band showed up. As I sat there waiting, I tried to process the swirl of thoughts going through my brain.   
   
 _I can’t believe that actually happened_ , I thought, and the same stupid grin broke out over my face. I’d gotten to sing on stage with them. Me! And my favorite song, too! It was hard to even believe it was real. I sincerely hoped someone had recorded it and would post it to YouTube so I could watch it back later.  
   
And Matt... damn. I’d never thought it would be possible to play that song as a somewhat-heartfelt duet, but he had made it happen. And the kiss scene at the end... it was completely fake, but most of the audience must have thought that we kissed _for real_. I gulped. I’d have to watch my back for jealous fans in the parking lot. It wasn’t real, no, but he had been so _close_ to me...  
   
My face turned red again at the recent memory. I could still feel his strong arms around me, his nose pressed into my cheek, his breath against my face...  
   
It was really a wonder I hadn’t fainted on the spot.  
   
Before I had more time to consider that miracle, though, I heard a commotion in the hallway. I looked over to the entrance coming from the stage, and sure enough, all five band members were in view a moment later.  
   
In a word, they seemed happy. High-fiving, laughing, and congratulating each other on a great show. I smiled, perfectly content to just sit there and watch them interact with each other, before one of them noticed me.  
   
“Heeey, if it isn’t our lady of the evening.” Syn called out jokingly, winking at me. “You did a great job out there.” He grabbed a drink from the water cooler, and flopped down on the couch next to me.  
   
I blushed and laughed, nodding my head slightly. “Thank you! It was... well, the most fun I’ve ever had in my life!” I knew I couldn’t sing all that well, and they were probably just being nice to me, but there was no way I was about to go and ruin the mood with self-deprecating comments.  
   
Zacky chuckled, breaking out of the band conversation to notice my presence, as well. “Not gonna lie, I kind of thought you might just be crazy at first. But Gates is right, job well done.”  
   
I couldn’t stop smiling as he moved to sit on the other couch. “Thank you,” I said, inclining my head slightly in his direction. Thank God for Zacky; I probably wouldn’t even be here right now if he hadn’t spotted me in the crowd when he did.  
   
Johnny and Jimmy said similarly kind things to me, settling into the far couch and the chair, as Matt got a drink of water from the cooler. He finally came to sit next to me on the couch, opposite of Syn. Not gonna lie, I’d plopped down in the middle of the couch on purpose in the hope that something like that would happen.  
   
“The show was absolutely incredible, you guys.” I said to them. I couldn’t help gushing just a little bit.  
   
Matt nodded. “Thanks, Julie.” He took a moment to wipe his forehead with a towel he’d been carrying, and I noticed that he had taken off the baseball cap he’d been wearing on stage. It _had_ been incredibly hot up there, even just during my own short stint on stage. “First time you’ve seen us?”  
   
I nodded, smiling. “I’ve been wanting to, for so long. About five years, actually. I bought the ticket the day they went on sale,” I confessed, laughing lightly.  
   
“We always appreciate our devoted fans,” Johnny said, smirking ever-so-slightly. I think it was clear to everyone at this point that my devotion was a little bit next-level.  
   
I laughed again. “I appreciate you guys making music! It’s kept me company on lots of late-night drives, and I’ve enjoyed the hell out of it.” A thought suddenly popped into my mind. “Oh! As long as I’m here, is there any chance I could get a group photo with you guys?” I asked hopefully. I needed proof that this all had happened, if I was going to properly gloat about it later.  
   
Zacky chuckled. “Sure, why not?” Then he added, “Are you sure you want these other guys in it, though? You could get one with just me,” he said, looking at me with a completely serious expression.  
   
This comment resulted in a chorus of groans from the rest of the room. “Zacky, no one wants a picture with just you.” Jimmy said, chucking a stray pillow at his head. Zacky deflected it to the floor easily. “It was just an idea!” he defended.  
   
I laughed. Apparently, these guys really were just as goofy off stage as all the behind-the-scenes footage I’d seen indicated. I got my phone out of my pocket and switched it to the camera mode. Zacky found one of the venue’s staff members out in the hall willing to take the photo (telling him that “My biggest fan requested a picture especially with me.”), and we all lined up on the couch, with me still sandwiched between Matt and Syn.  
   
“One, two, three!” he counted, and snapped the picture. I took the phone back from the man, eagerly inspecting it. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight. There was me, with my favorite band, and everyone’s eyes were open! I’d treasure that one forever... and maybe also plaster it all over my walls.  
   
We chatted about the band’s music for a while, with the guys asking me which album I’d had first and which songs I liked best. Although I adored many of their songs, when I told them that A Little Piece of Heaven had to be my favorite, Syn brought up the question that I couldn’t get out of my head.  
   
“So uh, Matt?” he started, leaning back on the couch to look at the singer without my head blocking the way, “what was up with the ending of the show tonight?” Syn had one corner of his mouth raised in a lopsided smile.  
   
Matt frowned slightly, looking back at Syn like he didn’t understand the question. “What do you mean? We just bowed like we always do.”  
   
There was a snort from across the room, and we all turned to look in that direction. It had come from Jimmy. “I don’t think that’s what he meant, Matt. I think he was referring to what happened just after the end of the beautiful song I wrote.”  
   
Syn sighed dramatically. “Just because the song was your idea in the beginning doesn’t meant that you wrote the whole thing!” His words alone may have sounded irritated, but the tone was undeniably playful.   
   
The two started bickering about what percentage of the song Jimmy could claim as his, and while it was entertaining, I quite wanted to know the answer to Syn’s question.  
   
“Ah,” Matt said a moment later, finally understanding the question. Syn and Jimmy went quiet—I think they’d decided on 70% ownership to Jimmy—and everyone turned their eyes back to Matt. However, when he noticed that he was the center of attention again, he suddenly seemed to regret saying anything.  
   
It didn’t make any sense at all, but in a word, he appeared… flustered?  
   
“It just... seemed to fit the mood of what was going on. I dunno, I did it on impulse.” he said quickly. That earned him smirks from the other guys, who quickly looked at each other as if to confirm that they were having the same thoughts. I didn’t know what it was they were thinking, but the four of them seemed to be on the same page. Maybe touring together made them so close that it gave them telepathic abilities, or something like that.  
   
Matt scratched the back of his head, turning away from his band mates to look at me. “Sorry if I surprised you up there,” he said. “It’s not really a standard part of the show.”  
   
“By which he means, it’s literally never happened before,” Johnny clarified, addressing me with his smirk still in place.  
   
“Yeah, we’ve been pulling people on stage to sing the song for the last few tour dates, but the ending was definitely a twist,” Zacky confirmed.  
   
I could feel my face turning red again. That had never happened before? Did I just make some kind of Avenged Sevenfold history? Why would Matt choose to do it now? I must have looked confused with these thoughts going through my head, because Matt decided to cut in again to clear things up.  
   
“You just...” Matt began, speaking more slowly now, “did a really good job with the song. We’d never had anyone nail the timing or remember the words that well. Usually when we have people up on stage, I’m a little bit distracted because I’m trying to make sure they’re okay the whole time, that they don’t blank on the words and they’re not about to pass out, or anything.” A few of the other guys nodded in agreement at this point; apparently having to take care of the person pulled on stage was a real part of the job.   
   
Matt continued. “But, I didn’t have to do that for you. You held your own, and I kind of forgot I was supposed to be looking after you. I honestly think we had the whole fuckin’ audience in some kind of trance by the end of the song, so I decided to try something, and I think it worked out really well. But I’m sorry that no one got a warning beforehand.”  
   
And just like that, all eyes shifted to me, waiting for my response. I quickly said, “O-oh, I didn’t mind at all!” _I’ve had a crush on you for years now, so really, it’s totally fine._ “The crowd seemed to get a real kick out of it.” _Not nearly so much as I did, though. Say, do you want to try it again?_  
   
I managed to avoid voicing most of my foolish thoughts, and just smiled at Matt briefly, before turning to glance at the rest of the guys. They still looked a bit… suspicious. Not so much of me, but of Matt. As if they _almost_ believed his explanation of why he did what he did, but not quite. I wasn’t sure why; it seemed perfectly reasonable to me, even if it was a bit hard to believe that I’d actually done as well as they were saying.  
   
Suddenly, Zacky broke the silence with an over-exaggerated yawn. “Well, I’m beat for the night. We should probably head back to the bus soon.” A couple of the others nodded in agreement, then Zacky spoke again. “Matt, since you started this, do you want to take Julie back to her car and make sure she doesn’t get stabbed by any crazy jealous fans?” He didn’t sound sleepy at all when he spoke, and he was looking at Matt with a straight mouth and one eyebrow raised in an expression I couldn’t quite place.   
   
“Uhhh... sure?” he agreed, frowning slightly at Zacky like he wasn’t sure at all. Zacky rolled his eyes. I felt like there was a lot of silent communication—or at least, attempts at it—going on, but I didn’t know why, and I had no clue what anyone was trying to say to each other.  
   
Zacky tried again. “I mean, I could do it _instead_ , if you’d rather—“  
   
“Nobody needs to walk me back,” I said quickly, interrupting him and shaking my head a bit. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ll be fine. I feel like you guys are a lot more likely to get attacked by crazy fans than me.” I laughed lightly. Of course, I would have loved to spend more time with any of these guys, but I really didn’t want to make them walk ten minutes through a parking lot where they’d potentially get caught in a mob of fans, especially if they were sleepy and wanted to turn in for the night.   
   
I also didn’t want them to be frustrated with each other, which seemed to weirdly be happening right now.  
   
Jimmy waved a hand dismissively. “Nah, it’ll be fine. The parking area’s probably next to empty by now.” We must have been talking for longer than I’d thought. “Besides, Matt’s big and strong, he can handle it.” Jimmy said, smirking slightly at the singer.  
   
Matt nodded his head, seeming to accept his fate, and turned to look at me. “Yeah, no problem.”  
   
And with that, the issue was apparently settled. The rest of the guys rose from their seats to head back to the bus for the night. My fangirl instincts kicked in again and made me stand up, as well, getting a hug from each of them before they left. I waved like an idiot as they disappeared around the corner.  
   
I sighed, missing them already, and turned back to look at Matt, who was still seated on the couch. I held a hand out to him. “Shall we?”  
   
He was looking at his lap quite pensively, but seemed to snap out of it when I spoke. He looked up at me blankly for a second, then smiled, grabbing my hand. “Yeah, let’s go.”  
   
I followed Matt down a couple of hallways backstage, realizing that this area was bigger than I’d thought, and went down a short flight of stairs that led to a metal door. Before turning the handle, Matt looked back at me.   
   
“I don’t think there’s going to be anyone out there, but stay close just in case, alright?”  
   
I nodded my head, briefly thinking that he was making this too easy for me—I mean, I didn’t even have to make up an excuse to stand close to him, he just straight-up _gave_ me one—and he opened the door.  
   
Luckily, when we stepped out, there was no one in sight. I could see a couple of long, black tour buses idling a short distance away, though, which was pretty cool. I smiled involuntarily, wondering what the guys were up to, and whether they actually intended on going to sleep anytime soon. Matt followed my gaze for a moment and chuckled, seeing what I was looking at. He then turned towards the front of the venue, having a better idea of where that was in relation to backstage than I did, and we started walking to the distant parking lot.  
   
After I’d gotten over my initial bout of nerves at being alone with Matt, and convinced myself that the parking lot really was as good as empty at this point, I asked him about their next stop on the tour, and we got to talking. I loved being able to ask questions about the band, their songs, the tour bus, and other important things like that to someone who knew all the answers.  
   
I was sincerely enjoying our conversation, to no one’s surprise, and Matt seemed to be having a good time, too. He laughed a lot, probably because my questions were so inanely specific, and was smiling constantly. My mind may have been playing tricks on me, but I swear he seemed to be even more handsome than usual when he smiled.  
   
Much before I would have liked, we were in sight of my old Mustang. “That one yours?” Matt asked, gesturing towards it as we continued to walk. It was the only car left in this section of the parking lot, illuminated by the dim street lamps stationed around it. I nodded.   
   
I didn’t really want to say goodbye to my favorite singer, and I wanted to draw this out as long as possible. But I didn’t want to inconvenience Matt, either. He must have been exhausted. I briefly considered faking a horrible leg cramp, so that he’d perhaps stay with me a bit longer, but soon pushed the idea out of my mind.  
   
We spent the short remainder of our walk in silence. I noticed that Matt seemed to be thinking about something, as he had a slight frown on his face, and I didn’t want to interrupt him. We were back next to my car before I knew it.   
   
I sighed heavily as I fished my keys out of my pocket, smiling at him with unrestrained affection now. There was no point in trying to hide it. “Thank you for walking me back, Matt. And thanks so much for bringing me up on stage. I had an absolute blast getting to sing with you and meet the guys.”  
   
He inclined his head, smiling slightly. “Sure thing, Julie. Thanks for helping make the last song so damn good! Hope we’ll get to see you at another show in the future.”  
   
I nodded, taking this as my cue to leave, and reluctantly turned to get into my car. I was facing away from Matt, with my hand on the door handle, when he spoke again.  
   
“Wait.”  
   
I turned back around, happy for a delay in my departure, but not quite sure what was going on. He looked thoughtful again, his eyebrows drawn down and together, with his gaze directed at me this time.   
   
“Yeah?” I asked softly.  
   
Matt said nothing for a moment, then sighed, his frown relaxing as he ran a hand down his face. “Do you realize why the guys were giving me so much shit tonight when we were backstage?”  
   
I shook my head, excited that I might be about to get an explanation of their mysterious code language. “No, I wasn’t sure what was going on.”  
   
Matt sighed again. “They know me too well. It’s because they wanted me to admit the real reason I ended the show the way I did. Which is the same reason why they wanted me to walk you back here.”  
   
Now it was my turn to look a bit confused. The _real_ reason? What did he mean by that?  
   
Matt must have seen that I still didn’t understand what he was getting at, because he spoke again. “I... I said before that you had the crowd entranced, Julie. But it wasn’t just them. It was me, too. I did what I did out of selfishness. Because _I_ wanted to. I wanted an excuse to be close to you, and I’m not so crazy that I’d actually do it on stage, but... I wanted an excuse to kiss you.”  
   
I felt like my heart nearly stopped at his words. Was that true? Is that why all the other guys had been heckling him the way they were, because they wanted him to confess? For about the fourth time that night, I felt like I might be about to pass out.  
   
I pulled myself together though, as usual, when another thought passed through my head. The rest of the guys had been thoughtful enough to make it so Matt and I were out here alone, right? With no distractions, save for each other?  
   
And for the second time that night, I found myself faced with an opportunity too good to pass up.  
   
“Matt,” I began, looking back up at his slightly-nervous face. He had no reason to be. I smiled. “If you still want to kiss me, for fuck’s sake, don’t hold back on my account!”  
   
My impassioned words must have convinced him, because after just one more second of looking in my eyes for confirmation, he was moving towards me. He cradled my face in both of his hands, and leaned down to press his lips to mine.  
   
It was gentler than I’d expected, based on the fact that he’d apparently been waiting to do it for a while now. I sighed happily, wrapping my arms around his neck as he moved his to wrap around my waist. We were in the same position now as we had been at the finale of A Little Piece of Heaven, a detail that I don’t think was lost to either of us.  
   
We kissed softly, until I became more daring and slowly ran my tongue over Matt’s lip ring. He growled low in his throat, a sound that instantly made me feel lightheaded, before biting my bottom lip and kissing me more passionately.  
   
We continued like this for another minute, as I tried to sear the experience into my brain as best I could. Matt was _much_ too good at this, I noted, as he ran his hands slowly up and down my back. Finally, he returned his hands to rest on either side of my face, and gently pulled away.  
   
He looked down at me, breathing slightly harder than usual, before his face broke out into a grin. “Thanks, Julie. I hope you enjoyed that half as much as I did,” he said quietly.  
   
I smiled back up at him and couldn’t help myself from laughing slightly. This entire thing felt surreal. “I think it’s safe to say that I did.”  
   
He nodded, and took a tiny step back. We were still very close together, but I slackened my arms around his neck and let them fall back to my sides. He moved his hands from the sides of my face to rest on my shoulders briefly, then put them in his pockets, almost as if to restrain them.  
   
“We’ll see you the next time we’re in Dallas, then?” His voice was back to its normal volume.  
   
I nodded my head, my smile growing. “I’ll be at every show I can get to!”  
   
Matt chuckled. “Good, because I don’t think we’ll be able to find anyone else who sings that part so well. It’s your job from now on, all right? You’re our official preferred guest singer on A Little Piece of Heaven. Get close to the stage, and we’ll find you. Hell, I don’t know how we could miss you when you’re jumping all over the place like that.”  
   
I grinned enthusiastically. He was too sweet, and this was too wonderful. “You’ve got it!”  
   
Matt laughed again. “All right, Julie, I’ve got to get going. The guys’ll be wondering where I am. But I’ll see you later, okay?”  
   
I smiled and nodded again, reaching down to grab my door handle in an effort to physically make myself leave. “Thank you, Matt. For everything.”  
   
After one more long look into his stunning hazel eyes, I finally turned away from him and wrenched the door open, sitting down in the car and shutting it behind me. I pulled my seat belt across my chest and started the engine, preparing to leave.   
   
When I looked back up, Matt was still standing there, a few feet away. I guess he intended to make sure I got out of the parking lot okay. Not a bad idea, considering that my brain was so full of mush right now that casually driving into a lamppost didn’t seem entirely unlikely.   
   
I waved at him through the window, and he raised a hand in farewell, a small smile on his lips. Finally, I pulled out of the parking space and headed for the exit. For a few seconds, I could see Matt in the rearview mirror as he started walking back towards the tour bus. Then I turned a corner, and he was out of sight.  
   
I smiled to myself as I drove down a small street that fed into the highway. I wonder what he would tell them, when he got back to the bus. The truth? They probably already knew. I felt my cheeks heat up slightly at that, but hey, kissing a gorgeous rock star was nothing to be embarrassed about!  
   
I pressed a button on my car’s stereo to play the first album in the CD changer. I heard the opening notes of Beast and the Harlot start playing, and couldn’t help but smile yet again. It was going to be a long drive, but I had great music and some new memories to keep me company all the way home.


End file.
